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South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has attributed its improved financial performance during the second quarter of fiscal year 2016 to continuing restructuring efforts. The company, one of South Korea's biggest naval shipbuilders, said that while second-quarter sales fell 17% to

The Indian government has abolished a set of rules previously introduced to support state-owned defence companies entering joint ventures (JVs) with private sector firms, it has been announced. The 'Guidelines for establishing joint venture companies by defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs)'

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a USD1 billion deal with Boeing on 27 July for four additional P-8I Neptune long-range maritime multi-mission aircraft for the Indian Navy (IN), official and industry sources said. The aircraft, which are being acquired via a direct commercial sale with

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has concluded negotiations with Italian arms manufacturer Beretta for the import of 177 sniper rifles for its Marine Commandos (MARCOS), the special forces unit of the Indian Navy (IN), for an estimated INR200 million (USD2.98 million). Official sources said the

An 85-year-old priest - identified as Jacques Hamel - was killed and a worshipper was wounded after two Islamist militants, armed with knives, entered a church service in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in France's Seine Maritime department on 26 July and took three other people hostage, the

African migrants remain as determined as ever to reach Europe from Libya despite the growing number of deaths at sea.

Indian Shivalik Class Frigate

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reportedly awarded a $1bn contract to Boeing to deliver four additional P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft for the Indian Navy.

Sikorksy Aircraft, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, has completed the critical design review (CDR) of the VH-92A Presidential Helicopter Replacement Programme.

Leidos has completed the initial performance trials of the US Navy’s first unmanned surface vehicle Sea Hunter, built as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) anti-submarine warfare continuous unmanned vessel (ACTUV) program…

A series of four Project 21180 multi-purpose vessels are being built by JSC Admiralty Shipyards, a company headquartered in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.

July 27, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Wednesday has confiscated copies of Al-Saiha and Al-Taghyeer daily newspapers from the printing house without stating any reasons.

A Sudanese man reads a newspaper as he waits to pay at a kiosk in the capital Khartoum (AFP)

Chief-Editor of Al-Saiha newspaper Al-Nour Ahmed Al-Nour said NISS agents came to the printing house and seized 14,500 print copies, pointing the financial loss is estimated at 30,000 pounds (SDG) (about $5000).

He added that the newspaper hasn't violated the law or crossed the red lines stated by the government, saying they can't predict any reason for the NISS's move.

For her part, the Chief-Editor of Al-Taghyeer Sumai Sayed said the newspaper was likely seized due to an Op-ed written by Hayder al-Mukashfi in which he made a comparison between the failed military coup in Turkey and the 1989 coup which brought President Omer al-Bashir to power.

She stressed that al-Mukashfi wrote a professional article and has neither violated the law nor crossed the red lines.

Meanwhile, the board of directors of Al-Tagyeer, late on Wednesday decided to suspend the publishing to protest against the repeated confiscations of the newspaper.

In statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the chairman of the board Hafiz Humaida said they felt that the newspaper was targeted by the frequent and unjustified confiscations and decided to suspend publication.

It is noteworthy that Al-Taghyeer is owned by the famous Islamist and health minister of Khartoum state Mamoun Humaida while Al-Saiha is owned by the chairman of the Just Peace Forum (JPF) party and president Omer Hassan al-Bashir's maternal uncle Al-Tayeb Mustafa.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) said the information department at the NISS on Tuesday has summoned producer and presenter of a sports programme at Radio Hala, Hassan Farouq.

According to the SJN, Farouq has discussed in his programme the government interference in the elections of the Sudanese Football Association (SFA).

It added that Farouq was interrogated at the NISS office from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (local time) before he was allowed to leave.

The NISS routinely confiscates newspapers either to prevent circulation of certain stories or to punish them retroactively on previous issues.

It uses seizures of print copies of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.

(ST)

July 27, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan ruling SPLM party has nominated former transport minister Anthony Lino Makana as speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), breaking an impasse that has delayed reconstituting the oversight body of the government.

The meeting at SPLM House in Juba on Wednesday was chaired by President Salva Kiir who also chairs the ruling party, and comes a day after the replacement of the former First Vice President Riek Machar by Taban Deng Gai

President Kiir, who made the announcement, said today decision is a new page for the fractured party.

"You now voted and four candidates from Equatoria were brought to the SPLM leadership. The leadership of the SPLM has selected honorable Anthony Lino Makana," said Kiir, referring to his SPLM faction.

The party split into three factions at the onset of December 2013 conflict: SPLM In Government led by Kiir, SPLM In Opposition of Riek Machar and SPLM former detainees led by former Secretary General Pagan Amum.

Kiir said the SPLM factions has no choice but to remain united.

"If you are not united in this (SPLM) house, you will not be united in the (parliament) bigger house," he further said, warning that "measures will be taken against dissent members of parliament" who vote against SPLM policies.

Sources in the meeting said the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai has accepted to nominate deputy speaker.

Oliver Benjamin, the head of information in the national parliament, said a special session to formally select the speaker in parliament will be convened on Monday.

"All members of parliament have been recalled to Juba to be able to attend on Monday August 1, 2016," he said by phone on Wednesday.

According to the August 2015 Agreement for Resolution of Conflict in the Republic, the current parliament with 332 MPs will be expanded to 400. The SPLM IO nominated new 50 legislators, 1 from former detainees and 17 from other political parties.

Disagreement over which party to nominate the speaker stalled expansion of the parliament and commencing the TNLA.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

July 27, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – Hundreds of African delegates withdrawn form all over the continent called for more concrete efforts to stop cancer.

African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa (ST Photo)

The calls were made at the 10th "Stop Cervical Breast and Prostate Cancer in Africa Conference" (SCCA) concluded on Wednesday at the African Union head quarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Delegates expressed concern on the rapid rises of cancer particularly on cervical, breast and prostate cancer.

Participants underscored a need for collective and more resolute measures both at regional and international levels to prevent the spread.

The Conference aims to ensure the provision of a strategic guidance based on concrete lessons learned over the past decade in ways of prevention and controlling cancer.

It was disclosed at the conference the need to galvanize and harmonizing efforts to fortify country level programs and initiatives to battle cancer.

Ethiopia's First lady Roman Tesfay, who is also Chairperson of COMESA First Ladies unit, stated that cancer has become a growing challenge across the African continent.

Roman reiterated on the need to work relentlessly towards creating public awareness, providing adequate medical services, and putting in place effective preventive measures, and early diagnosis and treatment.

She also stressed on the need for a concerted and comprehensive action by governments and international organs.

The First Lady said the conference has created a platform for a wider range of stakeholders actively working in cancer prevention and control to come together to reflect on the success Africa achieved and the challenges faced in the prevention and control of cervical, breast and prostate cancer over the past decade.

The Conference has noted with great concern the growing burden of cervical, breast and prostate cancer in Africa and its damaging effect on its communities, nations and the entire region.

It was noted during the opening of the Conference that cancer is increasing at an alarming rate in Africa, and it kills more people than HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis combined.

Cervical cancer rates in some parts of the continent reach up to 40 cases per 100,000 women.

"This is further confounded with highest maternal mortality rate in the region resulting in unacceptably high number of women deaths," said Kebede Worku, Ethiopian State Minister of Health in a communiqué he read after conclusion of the Conference.

It was disclosed that the gathering will bolster the effort of scientists and researchers, health professionals, philanthropists, civil society groups, individuals from the private sector as well as cancer survivors from all over the world in the efforts of stopping Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer.

Held from July 24 to 27 under the theme, “A decade of accomplishment, our enduring legacies and challenges ahead” the high -profile gathering conference has attracted more than 5000 distinguished delegates and speakers from Africa and across the world.

Among others African head of State and Government, African Parliaments, African First Ladies, African Ministers of Health, leaders of organizations and institutions have taken part in the conference.

The conference was organized by the Office of the First Lady of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, in partnership with the Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation.

The conference is Africa's largest gathering in bringing together international stakeholders and specialists in the field of cancer prevention and control. Ethiopian government has expressed commitments for the expansion of cancer treatment centers in the country.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Ministry of Health says it has set to replicate the country's success on HIV/AIDS to cancer treatment.

Ethiopian Minister of Health Dr. Kesetebirhan Admassu disclosed that training of doctors and health professionals have been given due attention to meet the growing demands of professionals in the area.

The minster said the Ethiopian government has expressed commitments for the expansion of cancer treatment centers in the country.

(ST)

July 27, 2016 (JUBA) - The office of South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Tuesday denied any knowledge of directives given to the army to carry out a search aimed at bringing only the head of the for former First Vice President Riek Machar from his hideout.

“I am now aware of such orders. It is not true”, said presidential adviser on military affairs, Daniel Awet Akot in statements to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday when reached to comment on a report widely circulated on the social media.

The senior presidential official was reacting to a fake military order allegedly issued on 25 July by the Chief of General Staff of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), Paul Malong Awan, directing to carry out air attacks on the areas where Machar and his forces are stationed outside the capital.

"You must bring him dead or alive to answer all the charges against him," says the fake document about the former first vice president.

The order further directs to ensure that troops are deployed along South Sudanese border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and to lay point ambushes against Machar and his forces, because he is heading to the neighbouring country.

SPLA Spokesperson Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang also denied the authenticity of the report, describing as “fake" documents aiming to create confusion and false allegation against the military command.

"We don't operate like that and you know that. Those documents are fake; they are created by enemies of peace,” said Lul in a statement to the media on Tuesday in response to the allegation.

There was also other fake texts attributed to the SPLA's chief of general staff ordering to shoot down any uncleared on the south Sudanese airspace including aircraft bearing UN symbols on suspected areas.

(ST)

July 27, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese former First Vice President, Riek Machar, has said his replacement with his ex-official, Taban Deng Gai, is “illegal” and reaffirmed his call for a third party force to be deployed in the national capital, Juba.

He also said he is still the First Vice President per the peace agreement and only awaiting deployment of a third force in Juba in order to come back to his office.

In his first interview with Aljazeera TV on Wednesday from his location “around Juba”, Machar said President Salva Kiir had no power to appoint a replacement if the President were to abide by the peace agreement signed in August last year to end 21 months of civil war.

He said he would be the one to nominate a replacement and recommend it to President Kiir from his faction.

“First of all, I am still the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan…By the agreement he [Kiir] has no power to appoint any person unless I nominate the person,” he told Aljazeera TV.

The former first deputy president, who also leads the opposition party of the SPLM-IO and commands its military wing, the SPLA-IO, said the process of his replacement convened by Taban Deng Gai was “illegal.”

He also confirmed that he already dismissed Taban Deng Gai a day before Gai “self-appointed himself” to replace him, adding that also there was no party's institution which sat to make a decision. He said Taban Deng had defected to President Salva Kiir and Kiir was only appointing his “friend” who already defected to him.

The opposition leader further explained that even if he was to be absent he should have been the one to delegate someone to act on his behalf, particularly a most senior minister or party official.

Machar also revealed that he had earlier told his party deputy and minister of interior, General Alfred Ladu Gore, to act on his behalf when he was being forced out until he would come back to Juba. Gore was however reportedly intimidated by Gai and decided to succumb to his nomination without questioning his seniority in the matter.

The top opposition leader warned that the peace agreement is on the verge of “collapse” if the regional and international community fails to act to reverse the illegal decision of President Kiir and to deploy a third party force to take over security of the capital.

It was the first time that Machar spoke to the media after he left the capital, Juba, two weeks ago when his residence was attacked and bombed to the ground by forces loyal to President Kiir.

Machar's comments have all confirmed statements which his spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, had been issuing on behalf of his boss for the past two weeks.

When asked about his whereabouts, Machar said he is “around Juba.”

(ST)

July 27, 2016 (JUBA) – Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), the body tasked to oversee implementation for South Sudan peace agreement, said President Salva Kiir has expressed “willingness to deployment of foreign” in a private meeting contrary to his public statements.

President Salva Kiir, (L), accompanied by army chief of staff Paul Malong Awan, (R), waves during an independence day ceremony in the capital Juba, on July 9, 2015 (Photo AP)

JMEC said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that the South Sudanese leader disclosed his flexibility during a meeting on Tuesday with former Botswan President and JMEC chairman Festus Mogae.

“Among the key points discussed during the productive meeting with President Kiir was his [Kiir] willingness to consider the deployment of a regional protection force in accordance with the recommendations of the IGAD Plus Summit and the Summit of African Union Leaders,” JMEC said in a statement also published on its website on Wednesday.

Mogae, JMEC said, also met the new First Vice President Taban Deng Gai on Monday, hours before being formally nominated as Riek Machar replacement by President Salva Kiir. The President said he acted to fill a vacant created by Machar's absence following the recommendation of the SPLM IO leaders in Juba.

JMEC said it will resume regular meeting in Juba and ensure that the peace agreement is fully implemented.

“Our only interest is to see a solution that promotes peace and a return to normality as well as security in South Sudan” said Chairman Mogae.

JMEC said the political deployment in recent weeks that include replacing Machar are “complex” and should be treated with caution.

“The Chairman [Mogae] has decided that, due to the complexity of the issues involved, this is a matter that should be considered and deliberated upon by the JMEC members, both the South Sudanese and our International Partners,” the statement added.

Moghae, JMEC said, is consulting regional leaders and international partners and “has thus met with the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the United Nations and other concerned parties to discuss the political impasse at this sensitive and difficult time for South Sudan.” He met with the Chairperson of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Chairperson and Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn on Tuesday “to discuss the latest developments and the way forward for South Sudan.”

JMEC said Mogae will continue with the consulting and will address the United Nations Security Council in August about the South Sudanese peace implementation.

President Kiir has said publicly that he won't allow “a single foreign soldier” in South Sudan following IGAD and African Union (AU) proposal to send regional forces to support UN peacekeepers in the country. He repeated this stance on Tuesday during the swearing-in ceremony for the first deputy president Taban Deng Gai.

“Dr. Riek Machar has been calling for intervention of foreign forces, international or regional, so they create a buffer zone. We will consider that as an invading force,” he said in a speech broadcast ob State-owned SSBC TV.

(ST)

July 27, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Minister of Minerals Ahmed Sadiq al-Karouri said his country expects to produce 100 tonnes of gold in 2016, pointing it would become Africa's second largest and among the world's top ten producers by the end of the year.

A local brings his gold for examination at a laboratory in the gold market in Khartoum (Photo: Reuters)

Al-Karouri, who spoke to reporters following his meeting with Sudan's ambassador to New Delhi Siraj al-Din Hamid, expected that Indian companies would play a major role in metal fabrication and in particular iron in Sudan.

He added that India would also invest in the manufacturing of gold and precious stones, saying that India is among the major buyers of gold globally.

The Sudanese minister pledged to facilitate all the procedures for the Indian investors.

Last month, al-Karouri said that gold production in the first quarter of the current fiscal year reached 22.3 tonnes which generated some $903.13 million.

In April, the Ministry of Minerals said that the country's production of gold has risen by 3 percent compared to 2015, according to the first quarter of 2016 report.

Near 70% of the country's gold production in 2015 was produced in the River Nile State. The traditional mining represents 90% of gold production in Sudan.

Sudan currently ranks third in gold production behind South Africa and Ghana but aims to land in the first place by 2018.

Gold has become one of Sudan's largest exports which partially compensated for the loss in oil revenues, which accounted for more than 50% of income until 2011 when South Sudan seceded, thus taking with it most of the country's oil reserves.

Sudan approved a law to regulate traditional mining by granting licenses and specifying areas to work in to protect them from hazardous conditions and smuggling.

It is believed that traditional mining employs more than a million Sudanese but it is still difficult to obtain credible data.

On the other hand, there are currently 132 companies operating in the regular mining sector in Sudan including 15 foreign companies.

(ST)

La compagnie américaine Norwegian Cruise Line vient de révéler l’œuvre d’art retenue pour décorer la coque de son premier paquebot destiné au marché chinois. Dérivé du Norwegian Escape (2015), premier navire du programme Breakaway Plus, le Norwegian Joy est en cours de construction au chantier Meyer Werft de Papenburg, en Allemagne.

Officiellement mis sur cale en avril dernier, ce géant de 168.800 GT, capable d’accueillir 3900 passagers, sera mis en service à l’été 2017.

 

Tan Ping @ NCL

Le futur Norwegian Joy @ NCL

@ NCL

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Lancé il y a 80 ans, l’Eagle, vénérable bâtiment école de l’US Coast Guard et plus grand voilier battant pavillon américain, va bénéficier d’une modernisation. A ce titre, il va bénéficier d’une remise à neuf de sa propulsion avec un nouveau moteur MTU 8V4000, qui remplacera l’ancien Caterpillar. Un système de contrôle centralisé Callosum, développé par le motoriste allemand, sera également installé, permettant ainsi aux cadets embarqués sur l’Eagle de travailler sur une propulsion moderne.

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